


Pick Me Up?

by FanFictionEngineer



Series: Gaalee Bingo 2020 [7]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Bad Pickup Lines, Bad gardener pickup lines, Cacti/Succulent Shop AU, Gaalee-bingo 2020, M/M, Modern AU, Tenten is not a good wingman, prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:55:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26897791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanFictionEngineer/pseuds/FanFictionEngineer
Summary: How do you pick up a gardener? You pluck him.Tenten was only trying to help but Lee would very much like it if she didn't use such awful pickup lines in front of the very cute cashier. Coffee is bought to smooth over crumpled leaves and apparently, the cute cashier has a similar approach that Tenten does.Gaalee 2020 BingoGreen Card 1 - CHEESY PICKUP LINES
Relationships: Gaara/Rock Lee
Series: Gaalee Bingo 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948663
Comments: 8
Kudos: 76
Collections: GaaLee Bingo





	Pick Me Up?

**Author's Note:**

> I was honestly working on and off on this fic and some other ones as well cause work just disturbed my writing schedule. So here it is, a few days late but still for the month of October. (And the length of this one is ridiculous. Like seriously, I couldn't make a comeback with something shorter? This is my longest piece yet. Not that I am complaining but I would like to post more)
> 
> Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. All spelling and tense errors are my own.  
> All puns and terrible pickup lines are not mine, except for the "succulent and succ" one and the one in the description. >///<

Lee read the signage over the door again, **Sand Sibling’s Cacti’s and Succulents.** He then checked his phone and the text from Tenten. Yup, he was at the right place and he was on time. His friends were late. Lee sighed as he sent a quick text to Tenten and Neji letting them know he was here. He got a reply back from saying that they were 10 minutes away and to wait inside the shop. How Lee wished he could. 

It was a simple store that had been renovated to have the large windows upfront, allowing everyone passing by the look in. And look in indeed, there were more cacti and what he assumed were succulents than Lee has ever seen in his life. And standing inside the store and that had moved to behind the counter, near the back of the store on his phone, was one very cute man.

Lee couldn’t see the fine details but he could see the man’s hair was a deep red and his skin tone was the color of almonds. He could also see that the uniform shirt that he was wearing seemed a size too large, allowing rather pale skin to peek through. The black apron hung around his neck and seemed to hug his hips as he moved.

Lee swallowed and prayed that Tenten and Neji would arrive soon.

As if hearing his prayers, he saw Tenten and Neji running towards him, one waving and the other wheezing as they made their way down the sidewalk.

“Hey, Lee!” Tenten greeted as she threw her arms around Lee, pulling him into a hug that Lee was happy to return. “That’s for coming to help out. Kami knows that trying to take Neji shopping anyway is impossible.”

Neji was still too busy wheezing to say anything but his pale eyes and pinched mouth said enough.

Lee hugged Tenten for a few moments longer before he let go. It had been too long since he had seen either of them for more than an hour or two. With Lee’s busy training, volunteering, and work schedule, and Neji and Tenten working long hours in their respective fields of accounting and blacksmithing, it was sometimes difficult to find time to hang out.

When he heard that Tenten was moving with Neji, taking their relationship to the next stage, Lee had been over the moon for them. The two balanced each other out and they found how to make it work with their long hours.

With the move being finalized in a week, Tenten had wanted to add color to Neji’s “depressing grandpa style” apartment and had asked Lee to come shopping with them. Lee had happily agreed, finding someone to cover his volunteer shifts at his parent’s dojo and at the animal shelter.

“Come on, let’s go in,” Tenten said, as she pulled hard on the door. The door swung open with force and banged loudly on the end of its arch. The cashier inside dropped his phone to glare at them. Tenten just gave a sheepish smile in returned as she entered the store, Neji and Lee following as Lee gently closed the door behind them. The air in the store was cool and enjoyable as Lee’s eyes wandered over the many types of succulents and cacti that lined the shelves, neatly and not overwhelming. 

Now that Lee was inside the store, he could get a better look at the cashier and Lee felt warmth cover his cheeks. He had been right in his observations through the window; dark red hair and a darken skin color. What he had not seen was his sea glass eyes surrounding by thick mascara lines that were watching them like a hawk. Nor the faint online of some muscles in his shoulders and arms or the black painted fingers or the cute black studs in his ears.

Lee let his eyes roam quickly over the shirt and noticed that there wasn’t a nametag anywhere on the shirt, he wondered then how they were to ask for assistance if they didn’t know his name.

Tenten nudged Lee out of his unyouthful staring by poking in the ribs and pointed to the cashier, who was back on his phone and whispered with a smile “permanent bitch face” much to Lee’s displeasure. Judging by the way the cashier’s eyes had narrowed, he had heard.

Once the three of them split up to look at different shelves, Lee took a peek and saw that the cashier was regarding each of them with an annoyed look as he leaned on the counter, resting on his forearms before going back to his phone that was now on the counter.

No introduction, no “Hello” or “How may I be of service today?” Just a stony silence interrupted by the sounds of the AC, a clock ticking, and the squeaks of their shoes on the linoleum flooring. Neji let out a loud snort and said over his shoulder to Tenten, “Bad customer service, don’t you think?”

Lee wanted the earth to swallow him then and there.

He looked over to see Tenten eyeing a shelf filled with small cacti in glazed brightly colored pots. She tapped her foot to a rhythm known only to her as she read the care direction that each pot had. There was a sigh and Lee turned to see Neji looking at a rack filled with some of the larger cacti.

“How about this one? It’s cute, it’s small, has a really simple watering schedule.” Tenten said, holding out a rather round green one covered in small white dots, a yellow flower blooming on top.

“And with our schedules and Lee’s luck, it will be dead within the week,” Neji replied deadpan, as he grabbed his phone to start texting someone.

Tenten huffed as she slammed the small cactus back onto the shelf she got it back from. There a grunt and Lee turned to see the cashier glaring at them.

“Tenten, maybe you should be a bit careful?” Lee asked. “You haven’t paid for it so you shouldn’t break it. Then again you shouldn’t break it if it was yours.”

Tenten let out a huff as she placed her hands on her hips to glare at Neji. “Well, it would be helpful if I had some input in deciding a plant to bring color to someone’s apartment I am moving in.”

Neji rolled his eyes and muttered, “What’s wrong with my apartment?”

Lee bit his lip to hide his smile. While nothing was truly wrong with Neji’s apartment; decent location, parking, close to major transit routes and easy shopping. It was actually the color of his apartment that Tenten had a problem with, considering that Neji had yet to paint or even have some furniture/art pieces/appliances beyond the colors of black, white, gray, and metallic gray.

A phone ranged from somewhere deeper in the shop and the cashier pointed to them, his voice gruff but soft that made Lee’s heart flutter. “Don’t you dare steal anything, or I’ll sick the raccoon that raids my trashcan on you.”

Tenten stuck her tongue out as he disappeared before turning to look at Lee with an all-knowing look.

“So, red hair huh?” Tenten purred, a mischievous smile on her face that made Lee blush.

“No!” Lee squawked. “Nothing of the sort. He’s just….easy on the eyes, you know, soft looking.”

Tenten raised an eyebrow as she whispered in a scandalous tone. “I bet he’ll feel real soft pressed up against your body and abs.”

“Tenten!” Lee cried, his face feeling unbelievably hot.

“Oh please Lee,” Neji said, walking over so that he could drop his voice. “You have a bad habit of falling over pretty faces. Remember Sakura?”

Lee winced as Tenten hid a grin. How could he forget the girl he professed his love for throughout all of elementary and junior high. It had crushed him to see her dating the resident “bad boy” in high school but she had been happy so Lee let her go, after much crying into ice cream and watching crappy rom coms with Tenten and Neji.

“That was puppy love Neji,” Tenten scolded. “Come on, help Lee be happy. Besides, it’s not like they are going to marry each other. Lee just needs a nudge to try and ask him out. It’s not the end of the world if he says no, right?”

“I’m happy right now,” Lee murmured. It was true; he had finished his schooling for physical therapy, he helped his father and his husband run the dojo when he had free time and he volunteered where he could. He was happy and satisfied with his hard work. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t lonely when he went back to his quiet apartment with no one to greet him.

“Listen, I’ll even help you out,” Tenten said, her grin wide and her eyes shining. Lee was always happy to have his friends support in his life, but he was pretty sure this was one of the moments he could do without.

“How will you do that?” Lee croaked out.

Tenten grinned in a way that reminded Lee of the Cheshire cat as she simply replied, “How I got together with Neji.”

Lee groaned as he put his hands into his face, his face burning red. While the three had been friends since elementary, it was only after high school that Tenten’s attraction to Neji started. In order to get his attention, Tenten basically had gone on a one-woman spree of bad jokes, puns, being obvious with sexy underwear and plenty of drunk karaoke until Neji finally seemed to get the hint. Neji truly was a genius, just not when it came to love. 

“Don’t worry, you got this,” Tenten said as she grabbed Neji’s phone and began typing furiously. Neji just looked tired and went back to stare at the same racks of cacti from before. Neji wasn’t getting involved but he wasn’t going to help out, Lee was alone in this.

The cashier came back and scowled, as if hoping they had actually stolen something from his shop so he could make do with his threat.

“Hey, Lee?” Tenten asked, grinning with all her teeth showing. “Did you just fart? Because you blow me away!”

Lee looked in horror at Tenten as she bit her lip, her eyes watery from holding in her laughter. Lee glanced over to see the cashier, looking at them with a raised eyebrow, his phone held in front of his mouth.

“How about this one? Baby, if we came to some agreement, you’d be the fine print.”

Lee just buried his hands in his face as Tenten rattled off two more awful pickup lines-

_Is There An Airport Nearby; Or Is That Just My Heart Taking Off?_

_Hey, Are You A Wifi Hotspot? Because I Feel A Connection._

-before falling silent. Lee dared to peek and saw her furiously typing some more. Lee tried to grab the phone but she sidestepped with a twirl, managing to avoid colliding with the center table.

“Man, tough crowd, how about some plant themed ones?”

“Tenten, no!” Lee cried, as he tried to reach for the phone.

“You’re a succulent darling? Because you can succ me all night long.”

Lee felt his lips wobbly, his face feeling so hot that his eyes were prickling. Tenten was too busy reading the lines to notice, but Neji and the cashier did notice and finally, finally, someone came to his rescue.

“How about-gak! Neji, what are you doing?” Tenten asked, as Neji manhandled her towards the door.

“Lee, just grab three random cacti, we’ll meet you at the food court at the mall,” was all Neji said, throwing a credit card onto the floor before he was out the door, dragging a spluttering Tenten out of the store.

The door shut with an audibly click and the store fell into an awkward silence which was only broken by the A/C kicking in. Lee took in a slow shaking breathe, letting the air fill his lungs deeply before letting it go. He did this three times until his face no longer felt hot and his eyes weren’t prickling uncomfortable.

He turned to look over to the cashier, who was regarding him with a stony face that reminded Lee of a gargoyle, and gave a wobbly smile. “They are good people honest; they can just seem much too some people.”

The cashier let out a hum as he turned back to his phone, now texting someone. Lee let out a breath through his teeth as he turned around to skim over the many plants in the shop. Neji had said to grab three cacti but he didn’t know anything about plants; after he accidentally killed some weeds that Ino was growing for a trial run to test some insecticides, he had come to the conclusion he had a black thumb.

“Um,” Lee started, and he saw the cashier stop texting and look up at him, his black mascara making it look like he was getting either an annoyed look or a sultry look. Definitely the former by the way he put his phone down with a loud smack.

“Any suggestions for beginner cacti or succulents?” Lee asked, gesturing awkwardly to the many shelves around him. “I’m rather terrible with plants and I’m not too sure where to begin.”

The cashier seemed to study him for a moment, letting him hang for a moment before replying, “You are also terrible with people, you know that?”

Lee felt his ears go red and a curl of anger settled into his stomach. “My friends aren’t bad people! I’m sorry that they made it awkward but how they act works for their relationship and I won’t tolerate people judging before truly knowing them.”

The cashier blinked his eyes in shock before covering his mouth, his shoulders shaking. It took Lee a few moments but when he heard the huffs of air escaping from the cashier’s mouth did he realize that he was laughing.

“May I ask what is so funny?” Lee asked, the familiar burn of shame crawling over his back. He had been teased relentlessly throughout his schooling years. As a result, Lee had more than often jumped into agreements and fights to defend those who also had been teased. So even if they weren’t here, Lee wouldn’t stand for someone mocking his friends.

“Their relationship will not last long if you ask me,” the cashier said smugly, a smirk hanging on his lips. “Honestly, I am surprised that your female friend went with such a crass man. How are you sure he truly even cares for her?”

Lee felt the all too familiar heat of rage flow through him. Even with years of the disciplines of martial art under his belt, Lee still had a temper that could get the best of him. Lee felt his teeth pull back into a snarl and he marched up to the cashier, all the more ready to defend his friends' honor and youthful feelings.

It was only when Lee saw the cashier’s eyes go wide and his face pale to the color of pale coffee did he stop, snapping his head back as his entire body shook from restraint. Lee took in deep breaths to clear his head and he took some steps back, letting his head fall back down to see the clearly shaken cashier.

Lee was tall at almost six feet and had muscles from his strict exercise regime. His father had drilled into him since the moment the ink was on the adoption papers to never use his strength to harm, only to protect. And he had blown it by letting his temper get the best of him.

“Sorry, I…..sorry,” Lee apologized lamely. “I shouldn’t have……I didn’t mean…..I wouldn’t have….”

The cashier took in a shaky breath and pointed towards the door. “I think you should leave.”

Lee opened his mouth but his eyes widened when he saw that the cashier was shaking like a leaf. Lee felt guilt and shame crash over him and he nodded, closed his mouth, and quickly making for the door. He had just stepped outside and was breathing in the warm spring air when he had a loud clack. He turned to see the cashier was at the entrance, his hands on the lock.

Their eyes met, shamed dark brown to shaken see-glass green, and the cashier turned away first. Lee watched him pull the blinds over the front window and walk deeper into the store. Lee didn’t know what he would do, make a police report or file a complaint, but it was obvious he wasn’t wanted here.

Lee let out a sigh as he made his way towards the mall and it was only when he was crossing the street did he remember that Neji’s credit card, the only personal one he had under his name, was still on the floor of the store. Lee groaned as he buried his head into his hands. He would hear it from Neji when they all got together for lunch. He hoped that Neji wouldn’t be too mad.

* * *

So apparently Neji had not happy, pretty sour if Lee would say so, about Lee not only forgetting his credit card on the floor but also coming back empty-handed without any plants since that was the reason they had been there. Tenten had been disappointed in Lee for losing his temper but when Neji pointed out that it was Tenten’s meddling that caused the situation to arise had she profusely apologized.

Lee had, of course, accepted the apology much to the annoyance of Neji who told Lee he always forgave too easily. Lee countered with a grin that Neji held onto grudges for too long. Tenten snorted as they came to an impasse. Lee then reassured Neji he would try and get the card the next morning at the opening before his work shift or he would pass on the word to Neji when he could pick it up. 

So here he was, at 8 am on a Saturday, jogging towards **Sand Sibling’s Cacti’s and Succulents,** his heart pounding from nervousness. There was no guarantee that he would be let back into the store after his show of aggression. Lee winced as pain shot up from his ankle to his knee making wobble and forcing him to slow down to an easy walk.

After they had split ways after doing the many errands that Tenten had deemed essential before she could move into Neji’s apartment, Lee had called his father and asked for his guidance. Lee made sure to not skip a single detail for his interactions with the cashier. Maito-Hatake Gai had been, to say the least, disappointed in Lee, and that hit like a lead weight to the gut. In order to atone, Gai had exclaimed, was to push himself to the limit; after all, he had free time did he not?

Before Lee hung up, after thanking profusely for the wisdom, he had heard his father’s husband, Maito-Hatake Kakashi, drawl in the background that Lee should probably also make it up with the cashier too. Aching muscles can’t speak an apology, can it?

Lee wasn’t sure how to make it up but he would try. If he got the chance to speak to the cashier at all before he was shown the door.

Seeing the shop come to view did Lee stop. He smoothed out his green tracksuit, hoping that he didn’t stink of sweat and thought that maybe he should have grabbed a cab to the shop and done more of the atonement exercises afterward.

 _Too late for that now_ , he thought as he slowly walked over to the front door.

He looked in and saw the cashier from the previous day hard at work, going over some paperwork. Lee took in a deep breath and knocked on the glass door. He saw the cashier look over before he did a double-take, his eyes wide.

Lee gave a sheepish smile and pointed to the door. He could see the cashier mulling it over before walking to the door and opening it enough so that they could talk, but not for Lee to come in. He looked over the shirt and apron, no nametag again.

“Why are you-“ the cashier began, a hint of anger in his voice but Lee cut him off.

“I am so so terrible sorry about the other day!” Lee exclaimed, bowing low. “That was incredibly awful and rude of me. You were only making an observation of what you saw and I should not have reacted that poorly. You are right, Neji can seem crass but I assure you, he has a good heart and he does care for Tenten. But they have been together for 3 years now and if he did not care for her, he would be blunt about it. He does not spare anyone’s feelings when he has something to say.”

Wasn’t that the truth? Neji had always been blunt and sharp-tongue and few were spared from his barbs, even his own cousin, Hinata, could attest to that. But he had a heart beneath under all that sharpness and Lee saw, when Neji thought no one was looking, the softness in his eyes when he looked at Tenten. Yes, Neji did care for Tenten, even if he didn’t always show it.

There was silence, so Lee dared to peak through his bangs. The cashier looked stunned, his eyes wide and his mouth open in an “oh” shape.

“If you are willing,” Lee continued. “I would like to pick up my friend’s credit card that he left behind and also to purchase those cacti I never did yesterday.”

That seemed to snap the cashier out of his trance as he opened the door more, allowing Lee to enter. “It’s not like I can say no to a customer, can I?”

Lee frowned but entered the store. “You can always say no. That is your right, the right to refuse unsafe work. I am sure your manager would understand, if he doesn’t then he is an idiot.”

The cashier gave him an unimpressed look before replying, in a very deadpan voice. “I am the manager and the owner. This is my shop.”

Lee blushed and he could feel it go down from his ears to the base of his throat, the owner just perked a faint eyebrow as his sea-glass eyes roamed over his blush.

“Oh…,” Lee muttered, he felt like he was having an out-of-body experience. “I thought you were just an employee because you look so young.”

“Even with a ‘resting bitch face’?” asked the owner, quoting Tenten from yesterday.

Lee blushed, and he knew his face had taken on a new red color judging by the amused look on the owner, as a small smile sat on his lips.

“I am sorry for my friends. They are just…vocal about….a lot of things,” Lee said lamely.

The owner hummed before he looked over his shelves and asked. “Do your friends have any specifications?”

Lee blanked before he remembered: the cacti, he was asking about specifications about the cacti.

“No,” Lee shook his head. “They don’t have any allergies and Neji’s apartment doesn’t allow pets. They are large windows for lots of sunlight but they work long hours. Neji has no plants in his apartment and Tenten doesn’t always have the patience.”

The owner hummed again and he went over to the shelf that and grabbed two of the more medium-sized cacti. One looked like it had several long string beans with white spines placed into its red glazed pot and the other had two green round bulbs covered in yellow spines in a blue pot.

He took them over to the counter and Lee followed, eyeing the cacti as he tried to come up with their names. During his atonement exercises in his apartment, he had pulled up links that had the scientific and common names for cacti and succulents but he couldn’t place those two.

“This one,” the owner said, tapping a tan finger to the red pot, “is a Rat Tailed cactus. The other one is a Saguaro Cactus. Both are easy to take care of, need direct sunlight, and have easy watering schedules.

“However, the thing is that they can grow to be very large. The Rat Tail can have its stem grow to 3 feet long and it needs to be hanging. The Saguaro can live for decades and can become 40-foot cacti.”

“But,” concluded the owner, something mischievous gleaming in his eyes. “I am sure your friends can handle it. If they can kill these cacti then I would recommend getting plastic plants. Still adds color without the hassle.”

Lee grinned as he grabbed the owner’s hands with his, who looked up at him in alarm. Lee gave those hands gentle squeeze and noticed how soft and warm they felt in his rather callous ones.

“Thank you for your help!” Lee exclaimed. “I am sure that these are perfect for my friends. I will purchase them.”

“Sure?” the owner sounded hesitant and gave a tug at his hands. Lee realized that he was still holding on and let them go quickly as if he had been burned. The owner then went about his way to start the transaction.

“Is it possible that I can also have my friend's credit card back?” Lee asked and the owner paused.

“Sorry,” he said. “My policy is that only the owner can pick it up as I need to verify ID.”

Lee nodded in understand but inside he grimaced. Oh well, he did try. He will send the word to Neji, hopefully, he will be off work to grab everything before the shop closed. “Then can I have the cacti set aside for my friend to pick them up when he gets his card?” Lee asked.

“So will your friend be paying for it?” the owner asked, his hand halting. Lee looked over to see that the transaction had already started and he gave a sheepish smile.

“I think I will pay for it. It’s the least I can do,” Lee said, pulling out his wallet. There was an amused snort and Lee looked over to see the owner covering his smile with one hand as he gazed at Lee’s wallet. Lee blushed as he quickly pulled his debit out of his old TMNT wallet. It had been a gag gift from Tenten some years ago and he had yet to replace it.

“Debit or credit?” the owner asked, as he moved the two cacti to a shelf behind the counter.

“Debit,” Lee responded and the transaction finished quickly with Lee given a copy of his receipt and another one printed off to be tapped to the cacti to show they had been paid for.

“You said your friend was picking it up, right?” the owner asked. “ _‘Neji’_ was his name?”

“Right,” Lee nodded. “I will let him know that he has to pick it before closing.”

“There’s no rush,” the owner shrugged. “All items paid for can be held for two weeks before being put back onto the shelf.”

“Still, I would hate to inconvenience you any further,” Lee started only to be waved off.

“Your only ‘inconvenience’ me further by apologizing anymore or making a big deal out of this,” he said, placing his hands on his hips to look Lee right in the eye.

Lee bit his lips before asking, “I know but I still feel bad about how yesterday worked out and you might have lost some business because of it. Is there anything I can do, like maybe grab you a coffee?”

The owner seemed to be regarding him and then there was a flicker of emotions in his eyes though his face remained set.

“If you are absolutely dead set on making it up to me-“

“Of course, I shall do my best or do 1000 push-ups before work!” Lee exclaimed. This time he could see quite clearly the owner’s eyebrows go up until they reached his hairline. Whoops, maybe he should lower his youthful challenges, or at least not say them out loud.

“So,” Lee coughed. “What…what can I do you for?”

The owner blinked before he grabbed a pen and some scrap paper and scribbled something down before folding it and giving it to Lee without a word.

“Um,” Lee was able to unfold it when a warm hand stopped him.

“I could use a coffee,” the owner explained. “There’s a decent shop not too far from here that I go to, it’s called….” Here he paused and seemed to grimace before continuing- “ **Bee and Grind**. I’ve written my order on it. Go there, give the order to whoever is on the till, pay and come back. Then we can call it even.”

Lee felt a smile cross his face as he gave a salute and ran out the door. He knew that coffee cafe, the **Bee and Grind**. It had been a while since he was last in, maybe he would see his old classmate, Aburame Shinso, there. Lee had made good time as he arrived at the café, which was hidden away from the main street and only know to the locals.

Lee opened the door and the strong smell of good quality coffee and something sweet greeted him. Lee grinned as he walked over to indeed see Shinso managing the till. Though thick sunglasses covered his eyes and his usual high collared jacket covered part of his face, Lee could see Shinso relax and nod towards Lee.

“Good to see you Shinso-kun,” Lee greeted.

“Nice to see you as well,” Shinso replied. “I haven’t seen any of you in a while, has Tenten come to her senses about that swirl she drinks coffee by her work?”

If there was something that Shinso and Neji could bond over, it was holding grudges and Shinso truly never let Tenten forget about taking her business for coffee somewhere else.

“I am afraid not,” Lee said with a shrug. “But she will come to her senses. Just wait and see. If I enjoy your coffee, then that means anyone can.”

Shinso tilted his head to the side in agreement before going back to business. “So what is your order today Lee. You never buy coffee unless it’s you have made some bad all-nighter decisions.”

Lee let out a nervous high pitch laugh, making a few patrons look over in his direction. “Not quite, I am actually here on a coffee run for someone, the owner of the Sand Sibling’s Cacti and Succulents asked me to get him a coffee to make up for what happened the other day.”

“ _‘The other day’_? Like yesterday? Ah,” Shinso said, a raised eyebrow visible over his glasses. “That explains why he was here earlier than expected, complaining about some crude people in his shop. You wouldn’t be the reason why he closed up would you?”

Lee blushed as the same shame from yesterday crawled underneath his skin and gave a nod to Shinso, who let a hum.

“I have his order here,” Lee said, handing over the paper to Shinso who regarded it quickly before typing in the order.

“So you’re getting him usual, the total is $20.40,” Shinso said, and Lee felt his eyebrows go up to his hairline. That was truly an expensive coffee and Shinso seemed to be in a talkative mode as he explained. “The coffee he orders is a strong black coffee that is made with rather expensive beans for a small location like us. He also prefers it bitter with some spice, so that means we let it sit and then add cinnamon and he likes to have 3 expresso shots in it. There are a few other steps but those are the public ones I am allowed to talk about.”

Lee blinked. That truly was a lot of work for a cup of coffee but it must be pretty good and Shinso did make good coffee. Taking out his debit card, Lee made a mental note to take ask Neji about what kind of quality coffee cost 20 dollars for a cup, since he seemed to survive on it and spite during the long hours he has to keep.

Lee was given his receipt as Shinso set on making the cup of coffee. This gave Lee the time to look around the café. It was a simple setup to the franchise coffee shops around town except it had dark wood furniture pieces with bug motifs carved into them. Along the wall were large posters showing the different kinds of insects in the world as well as information on some of the charities the café supported, like the one for bees.

Lee let his eyes wander over the patrons who were all busy doing something on their phones and laptops and thought he recognized a few of them from around the area.

“Here you are Lee,” Shinso said, sliding a large coffee in a black disposal cup that had a bee on it towards him. “Try not to spill it. I would hate to waste good quality beans on mistakes.

Lee gave Shinso his trademark Good Guy pose before grabbing the coffee. There was a smell of spice, which Lee assumed was the cinnamon, floating up as well as a smell that made his nose wrinkle.

“Well, Im off,” Lee grinned. “Thank you for your help again Shinso. You are truly amazing at your craft to have made such a complex coffee so quickly.”

Shinso gave a small rise of a shoulder, his version of a shrug. “He always orders the same thing on Saturday’s, and never with any food. So it’s easy to make.”

Lee felt concern bubble up inside of him. The owner just drank one strong coffee in the morning with nothing to eat along with it? It could be that he didn’t need much to eat in the morning and just preferred his coffee later but something about that didn’t sit right with Lee. 

“Um….Shino-kun?” Lee asked nervously. “Can I also add some of those natural muffins as well?”

Shinso seemed to look at Lee with a seriousness that made Lee think of a general doing inspection before he grabbed an all-bran muffin, placed it into a black bag decorated in bees, and gave it to Lee without breaking eye contact. Or what Lee assumed was eye contact; it was hard to tell with the glasses.

“It’s on the house, to make up for you screwing around with Gaara’s working hours,” Shinso said.

“But-“ Lee began to protest but was cut off by Shinso.

“The coffee is getting cold and it will become extremely bitter. Even Gaara won’t drink it and that’s wasting product. You better get going,” Shinso was blunt but he always spoke the truth. Lee could feel the coffee was still hot in his hands but that could change. He opened his mouth but a glare and a finger pointed to the door showed him out the door as he went into a fast walk back to the cacti and succulent shop.

The owner was surprised to see Lee when he came into the store and was more surprised to see the coffee and the muffin. Lee placed the coffee on the counter and gave the owner a smile who looked dumbfounded. Guess he wasn’t use to acts of kindness.

Lee gave him a smile and thumbs up before saying, “Thank you for your help. I would love to talk more but I have to jog back to his apartment to get ready for work.”

The owner just gave a nod, his eyes wide, and giving Lee a great view of how the light reflected off his unique colored eyes.

Lee was out the door and setting a brisk pace back to his apartment when a thought came hurtling towards him, making him lose his balance and go headfirst into a light pole.

His name. Lee now knew the name of the owner. Shinso had said it when he gave Lee the free muffin.

Gaara.

The name sounded smooth and Lee muttered it under his breath as he rubbed his aching forehead. It seemed to coat his tongue like caramel. Lee felt his face heat up as he resumed his pace. Oh, he had it bad.

* * *

After that, Lee made it a habit to stop by the **Bee and Grind** on the weekends whenever he had the spare time to grab coffee for Neji and Tenten, who appreciated it, and for the owner-for **Gaara** , who looked suspicious but didn’t seem like the person to turn down a free coffee.

“Come on Lee,” Tenten moaned after week five of coffee from the **Bee and Grind**. “Don’t you think it's time to ask him out yet?”

Lee had spluttered and made a poor excuse of his oven being on fire before booking it out of Neji’s, and now Tenten’s, apartment. Lee rubbed his face as he continued to walk around aimlessly. Tenten did have a point. By now, Gaara and him seemed to be on familiar terms, not quite friends, but acquaintances. But Lee really didn’t want to push his luck even if Gaara did smile when he saw him, or talked to him about the new cacti in his shop or asked him how his work term was going……

Lee stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, completely dull to the grumbles as everyday citizens had to walk around him, his cheeks becoming a bright red. Maybe the feeling wasn’t one-sided, but reciprocated? But how could Lee be sure?

Tenten’s Cheshire smile floated into his mind as she sang out, “How I got together with Neji.”

Lee bit his lip. He was intense and blunt and he was an awful flirt. That was obvious. But maybe….?

No, Lee wasn’t going to do it. He would just be straightforward and ask Gaara. How hard could it be?

* * *

Apparently, it was harder than expected as the next weekend, Gaara wasn’t in and it was his older brother covering his shift who only took one look at Lee and burst into laughter, making Lee walk out of the shop in shame, his face burning. The next weekend his sister was covering the weekend as Gaara was out doing some contracts with some of the greenhouses. Well, Lee now knew why it was called the Sand **Siblings** Cacti and Succulents.

By weekend number 3, Lee had had enough. If Gaara was in, he would ask him out. If he wasn’t, then Lee would give up.

Lee stood half a block away, Gaara’s usual coffee in one hand and a muffin in the other. Apparently, Shinso had found some humor in Lee’s coffee runs and had found out through the grapevine that was their mutual friends about his crush and continued to give Lee the muffins for free.

Lee knew there was some underlying business sense he was using in giving the muffins away but Lee just did not have the mind to comprehend Shinso.

Lee took in a deep breath and walked towards the shop. He glanced through the window and a familiar mop of red hair made his heart beat fast. He opened the door with more gusto than expected as it flew open, opening with a bang as it had done the first time Lee entered the shop.

Lee saw Gaara turn around to most likely snap at whoever was at the door but the look of annoyance turned to one of surprise and, what Lee could maybe say was fondness.

“Lee, good to see you again,” Gaara said, putting down the yellow pot he was inspecting.

“It’s good to see you again as well,” Lee responded and he mentally kicked himself. How lame of a greeting was that?

But Gaara didn’t seem to notice, or perhaps he did but was used to the weirdness that was Rock Lee, as he took the coffee from Lee’s hand and took a large swing.

“Long morning?” Lee asked as Gaara let out a sigh and nodded.

“I just had a large order placed and I don’t have all the plants. I have to ask around to some of the other shops to try and fill it,” Gaara said, rubbing his forehead, making the red katana tattoo scrunch and stretch.

“That is really unfortunate,” Lee said, placing the muffin on the counter. “Will you be able to get the order filled on time if the other shops can’t help you?”

Gaara sighed as he seemed lost in thought. “Probably not, but it’s a large order I cannot fail. The income and publicity will ensure my shop will be fine for the next few months.”

Gaara looked so stressed and lost that Lee didn’t seem to be thinking as he gently pulled Gaara into a hug. Gaara stiffen and Lee thought he had crossed a boundary he shouldn’t have before he felt Gaara relax and even lean into the embrace.

“I’m sure you can do it,” Lee murmured as he rubbed a hand up and down Gaara’s back. “You are smart and know so much about cacti and succulents. And you’re not alone, you have your siblings and you got me. I’m more than willing to help out if I can, and if you just need someone to lean on, well, I’m always ready for hugs.”

Lee could see Gaara’s ears turn as red as his hair as he seemed to bury his face deeper into Lee’s shirt. Lee could feel the smile on his face grow as he tighten his arms Gaara and placed his chin on top of the redhead crown.

Lee felt Gaara shift so that the right cheek was pressed against Lee’s collar bone.

“I…..” Gaara began but he seemed to falter. Lee felt Gaara’s torso expand as he took in a deep breath and then continued. “I can’t wait to show you my private garden.”

Lee blinked, his mind coming to a halt. “That sounds wonderful. I would love to see it! But shouldn’t that wait till after the order is filled?”

Lee couldn’t see for sure but he thought that Gaara was pouting?

“Maybe….but I can also take a break. You’re always getting on my case about taking care of myself. So when I show you the private garden, do you wanna help me plant some Sugar Daddy?”

Now Lee was confused. He wasn’t good with cacti or succulents like Gaara or flowers like Ino but he had never heard of a flower called a Sugar Daddy? Maybe it was one of those hybrid’s Ino was going off about lately?

“Sure,” Lee agreed. “I would love to help but I’m not much of a gardener.”

“That’s fine,” Gaara murmured.

Lee finally let his hands fall away from Gaara and was about to take a step back when-

“Is that a stalk of chard in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?”

Lee felt his face become so flushed that he felt faint. He backtracked that he ended up slamming into the wall, causing the shelving to rattle. He quickly looked down and began padding himself, cursing his youthful body for choosing to react so vulgarly to such an innocent moment.

He looked up to see Gaara looked both shocked and embarrassed, his face as red as his hair. His arms reaching towards Lee, in a failed poor-reaction time attempt to stop Lee.

Lee opened his mouth to apologize profusely when Gaara cut him off.

“That wasn’t the reaction I was hoping for,” Gaara sounded almost….desponded. “I thought if I…..never mind.”

“No wait,” Lee walked over to place a hand gently on Gaara’s shoulder. “What do you mean? ‘Not the reaction you were hoping for’?”

Gaara bit his lip before turning around to face Lee.

“The walls are pretty thin so I heard you talking with your friends when you first came into the shop.”

Lee blushed. Oh god, he heard everything Tenten said then.

“Then she started doing those awful pickup lines and when you said behind, I thought, maybe you would….” Gaara trailed off as his fingers dug into the folds and seams of his black pants. “I thought you would ask me out but then I said the wrong things and you got upset and well, you remember how that ended.”

Lee flinched. Oh way, he remembered all right. He was still doing the atonement exercises, placing importance on breathing and keeping calm so he wouldn’t lose his temper.

“So I thought I wouldn’t see you again and that your friend would just cancel his card. But then you came in, and then offered to buy me a coffee so I thought I could have a laugh at your expense with you getting my usual coffee. But you came through with it and got me a muffin on top of it. And I thought that was the end.

“But you continued to buy me coffee, making conversation, making me eat breakfast. So I thought you were being friendly. But I soon found myself waiting for the weekend so that I would have the chance to see you again.”

Lee’s eyes went wide as he saw Gaara fidget nervously. Gaara, from what he had seen, preferred to make sharp remarks and sarcastic comments. This, Lee, has never seen this side of him before, vulnerable and open and so damn cute.

“My siblings finally met you and they have been bugging me nonstop for me to make a move and they had even written up a list of conversations starters and pick up lines for me to use. When you said you were willing to help me and be there for me….I thought that would be the right time to see if I could…..”

Lee blinked his eyes rapidly as he felt tears well up, Gaara looked stricken as he saw the tears fall from Lee’s eyes.

“I’m sorry I shouldn’t have-“ Gaara began but was cut off as Lee pulled him into a hug, burying his face into Gaara’s hair that smelled strongly of dirt after the rain, standard shampoo, and faint blossoms.

“Are you my high school English teacher’s comments on my essays? Because you have fine written all over you,” Lee croaked, making Gaara freeze.

“You must be a garden, cause I'm digging you,” Gaara giggled, his voice wobbly.

“My doctor told me I’m missing vitamin U. Can you help me?” Lee snorted, a grin forming as the tears slowed down.

“If me and you made a garden, would you plant your tulips next to mine?” Gaara huffed, moving back to look Lee in the eye. His cheeks were red but there was an amused smirk on his lips and an eyebrow raised, making him look really hot.

“Roses are red, violets are blue, I’m not that pretty but damn look at you,” Gaara blushed at that one and Lee thought it was the cutest thing.

Gaara stood on his toes so that he could whisper right into Lee’s ear, his voice low and husky. “I want to plant my Dogwood right in between your two big Hibiscus.”

That one made Lee blushed as badly as the chalk one and he buried his face into Gaara’s hair.

“Too much?” Gaara asked but Lee could hear the grin in his voice.

“Your awful,” Lee said, his voice muffled but Gaara let out a snort.

“So…..” Gaara began, pushing Lee back so that they could see each other. “Interested in getting lunch or dinner tonight?”

“I have a late shift and won’t get off till midnight so I can do lunch. Takeout?” Lee asked.

Gaara nodded, smiling a smile that showed off his canines that made Lee’s mind go towards a very R-rated detour, as he was pulled towards the back of the store. 

Perhaps he should get Tenten a new cactus as a gift. If it wasn’t for her awful pickup lines, he wouldn’t be getting a date with Gaara.

Nah, she can get a new one if she wanted. Lee was going to be finding himself busy for the next little while anyway. 

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a kudo if you enjoy it. Leave a comment if you have something to say.  
> Bookmark if you think it's good enough to read ;D
> 
> Please note, I do not use any of these pickup lines. I just googled, terrible pickup lines and plant themed pickup lines and this was what I got.
> 
> Star Cactus --> "rather round green one covered in small white dots, a yellow flower blooming on top."


End file.
